Sunday, March 30, 2014

Avastar 1039 workflow

by Eleanora Newell

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Installation of Avastar test version 1-1-1039.
We have found that you will need to:
1. Install the zip addon.
2. In the addon tab, type Avastar into the search field.
3. Verify that Avastar is enabled.
4. Save user settings.
5. Restart Blender.
6. If you are in Blender 2.7x, the Add menu is now at
the bottom of the 3D View window. The shortcut is
Shift-A.

If it is stubborn, uninstall Avastar and restart Blender
before proceeding with the steps..

Still stubborn, Set to Factory setting, uninstall Avastar
and proceed with the steps.

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Please note that this is for Avastar test version 1-1-1039
and is likely to change with future updates! 1039 fixed a
bug found in 1038.
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● Workflow for previously weighted mesh:

1. Have your mesh and the avastar figure and rig ready (I like the meshes and rig on different layers for ease of selection, you can use shift select to add more than one layer, but you can put them as you like).

✱ NOTE: It is important to model over the default shape. Once the model is complete and parented to the rig, with sliders attached, you can load the shape you wanted to use. If you did the five standard sizes, hopefully you also included default. If not, take the one closest to default size and edit it to the default shape. ✱

2. Select your mesh and the rig. In the Skinning and Rigging panel, set Weight to "Keep". Shape sliders should be on by default.

3. Press the Assign Armature button. This changes the options for the next step. At this point both your mesh and rig are still selected and can stay selected for the next steps.

4. For Fitted Mesh, press the plus sign by "Deform (Fitted)..." to open the panel where the Fitted button should be the one enabled.

5. The deform panel has been updated to try and make it as simple as possible. Since we are doing a garment that was previously weighted, change Weight to Move. This will move the weights that were originally mBones (SL) weights and moves them to the corresponding cBones (volume/collision). If you want your mesh to also have weights place on the cBones for which there are not corresponding mBones, checkmark the Generate Weights button. Apply configuration.

6. The mesh is now ready for you to test with sliders. Go to the object properties to test the sliders.

7. Go to Show bones in the Avastar tab and enable weight. This will make the sl base (blue) and volume bones (orange octahedrons) visible and put you in the weight room.

8. Enabling Stick will make the SL base bones easier to work with.

9. Use the SL bones to pose, and the volume cbones to weight.

10. To update the weights while you're painting, press alt-q to see changes to the mesh after you paint weight.

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● For unweighted mesh:

1. Have your mesh and the avastar figure and rig ready (I like the meshes and rig on different layers for ease of selection, you can use shift select to add more than one layer, but you can put them as you like).

✱ NOTE: It is important to model over the default shape. Once the model is complete and parented to the rig, with sliders attached, you can load the shape you wanted to use. If you did the five standard sizes, hopefully you also included default. If not, take the one closest to default size and edit it to the default shape. ✱

2. Select your mesh and the rig. In the Skinning and Rigging panel, set Weight to Meshes, Bones or Empty, depending on what you want weight from. Remember that to use Meshes means you must have the avastar, or another mesh with weights, visible for the copying to occur. Shape sliders should be on by default.

3. Press the Assign Armature button. This changes the options for the next step. At this point both your mesh and rig are still selected and can stay selected for the next steps.

4. For Fitted Mesh, press the plus sign by "Deform (Fitted)..." to open the panel where the Fitted button should be the one enabled.

5. The deform panel has been updated to try and make it as simple as possible. Since we are doing a garment that was previously weighted, change Weight to Move. This will move the weights that were originally mBones (SL) weights and moves them to the corresponding cBones (volume/collision). If you want your mesh to also have weights place on the cBones for which there are not corresponding mBones, checkmark the Generate Weights button. Apply configuration.

6. The mesh is now ready for you to test with sliders. Go to the object properties to test the sliders.

7. Go to Show bones in the Avastar tab and enable weight. This will make the sl base (blue) and volume bones (orange octahedrons) visible and put you in the weight room.

8. Enabling Stick will make the SL base bones easier to work with.

9. Use the SL bones to pose, and the volume cbones to weight.

10. To update the weights while you're painting, press alt-q to see changes to the mesh after you paint weight.

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1. Have your mesh and the avastar figure and rig ready (I like the meshes and rig on different layers for ease of selection, you can use shift select to add more than one layer, but you can put them as you like).

✱ NOTE: It is important to model over the default shape. Once the model is complete and parented to the rig, with sliders attached, you can load the shape you wanted to use. If you did the five standard sizes, hopefully you also included default. If not, take the one closest to default size and edit it to the default shape. ✱

2. Select your mesh and the rig. In the Skinning and Rigging panel, set Weight to Meshes. Remember that to use Meshes means you must have the avastar, or another mesh with weights, visible for the copying to occur. Shape sliders should be on by default.

3. Press the Assign Armature button. This changes the options for the next step. At this point both your mesh and rig are still selected and can stay selected for the next steps.

4. We're doing Fitted Mesh, so press the plus sign by "Deform (Fitted)..." to open the panel where the Fitted button should be the one enabled.

5. The deform panel has been updated to try and make it as simple as possible. First we want to change Weight to Swap. This will swap the weights from the mBones (SL) weights to the corresponding cBones (volume/collision). If you want your mesh to also have weights place on the cBones for which there are not corresponding mBones, checkmark the Generate Weights button.

Now, here's the important part: If you want to have the mBone groups to weight to, you will ALSO checkmark "Keep groups". The mBone groups will be empty. You will have them though if you want to weight to any of them. You can delete any (in the vertex groups list) you don't use.

Apply configuration.

6. The mesh is now ready for you to test with sliders. Go to the object properties to test the sliders.

7. Go to Show bones in the Avastar tab and enable weight. This will make the sl base (blue) and volume bones (orange octahedrons) visible and put you in the weight room.

8. Enabling Stick will make the SL base bones easier to work with.

9. Use the SL bones to pose, and the volume cbones to weight.

10. To update the weights while you're painting, press alt-q to see changes to the mesh after you paint weight.

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There are other presets in the list. Hovering over each preset in the list will tell you what it does. If you have questions about these other presets, you can ask and I will try to explain or find out the workflow for them.

Happy Meshing,
~ele

These pictures by Eleanora Newell explain a lot. This is the case, as I asked , to have both mbones and fit bones